Fredonia village officials lit up and inhaled a discussion about marijuana legalization at this week’s Board of Trustees workshop.

“I can tell you it’s created a lot of issues police wise,” Mayor Doug Essek said. “It was legalized without any rules or stipulations on how it would be enforced and regulated based on offenses and infractions.”

Police Chief Phil Maslak, who wanted to discuss the issue with trustees, was unavailable for the meeting.

“One of the things Phil talked to me about was allowing it to be smoked on the street,” Trustee EvaDawn Bashaw said. “He was wondering what the village position was going to be … he cited things like there are adults who don’t want their kids to walk down the street being exposed to it. But you know what, we have not stopped cigarettes from being smoked on the streets, and I’m not sure how we’d stop the smoking of marijuana on the streets.”

Essek said, “Second-hand smoke from cigarettes would not impair you like (marijuana) smoke would.”

“But it’ll kill you,” interjected Trustee Scott Johnston, laughing. He added, “Anywhere you can smoke tobacco, you should be able to smoke pot. They’re both legal, that’s just the way it is.”

“That’s how I feel too,” Bashaw said. “I’m not sure how you can enforce it otherwise.”

Trustee Roger Britz noted smoking is not allowed in municipal buildings, school property, public buildings and restaurants. “If you can’t smoke tobacco there, then you can’t smoke pot there, either,” Johnston said.

“I hope they don’t legalize other drugs. I hope they don’t think that someday you can free base cocaine or cook up meth in the park or something,” Essek said.

The board plans to discuss marijuana with Maslak when he returns. Essek noted that while it is legal on a state level, village officials can pass local laws to regulate it.

That’s not the only marijuana decision looming for Fredonia. The legalization measure mandates that every municipality in the state decide by year’s end whether marijuana stores will be allowed in their jurisdictions. Village officials have not yet publicly addressed that upcoming decision.